PMK plea for CBI probe into EPS cash offer to MLAs dismissed

A division bench comprising Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice Anita Sumanth on observing that newspaper and media reports have no evidence value in deciding a case, dismissed the plea as devoid of merits. It also noted that a similar plea has been dismissed by the HC.

The PIL moved by PMK president G K Mani on citing a sting operation that was telecast in a news channel, said S S Saravanan, an MLA had confessed that money and gold was offered to the MLAs for voting in favour of Palanisamy’s confidence motion.

He also noted that of the elected representatives illegally detained in a resort at Koovathur, MLAs Shanmuganathan and Saravanan had escaped from the said camp, which clearly revealed that the detention of the MLAs was purely on extraneous reasons to prevent them from freely exercising their right of franchise in electing the Chief Minister.

The MHC has reserved orders on a batch of pleas challenging the interim stay on the online sale of medicines without valid licences. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana before whom lengthy arguments prevailed reserved orders without mentioning a date. Counsels representing the online firms had contended that they don’t need a licence as they were only intermediaries and that they neither produce nor stock medicines. 

The medicines are procured from licensed pharmacies strictly based on submission of prescription. The Tamil Nadu Chemists and Druggists Association which obtained the interim injunction had contended that the licenses are meant for pharmacies to be operated from a specified address and in the absence of rules and regulations any sale by such online platforms is illegal.